Not So Perfect
by DragonStorm85
Summary: In dreams everything would be a picture of perfection. Unfortunately, reality is anything but that. Now Tenten must make a decision that will not only effect her life, but that of her unborn child as well. TO BE REVISED INTO A MINI-FIC.


**Fandom: **Naruto

**Character(s): **Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Neji

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but these words

**Dedicated to**: Evilevergreen, because one of her challenges was VERY similar to the plot of this fanfic.

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_In the world of dreams everything would be just the way you wanted, a picture of perfection that would be as close to heaven as one cold possibly get in life. There would be no pain, no sadness no complications; nothing to disrupt this image of utopia we've built for ourselves. But such idealistic imaginings don't exist in the reality that we are destined to live. And so we are charged to move through this world as best as we can, dealing with all of life's tragedies while still maintaining some form of happiness to hold on to. We do what we can to survive. Because if we didn't, what would be the point of living?_

-x-

Squinting at the light filtering into the room, I stared out the window to watch the villagers as they went about their daily routine. Judging from the positioning of the sun, it could not have been any later than nine in the morning. Even then the streets were already filled with crowds of pedestrians rushing off towards their unknown destinations. Normally I would have been among them hurrying off to the market area or towards the training grounds for an early spar, but my schedule had taken a drastic change in the past few months with my growing condition. Sure I strived to become the best that I could be just like any other shinobi, but even I knew that such activities were inappropriate for a pregnant woman.

I smiled at the thought, all the while rubbing gently at my growing belly. It had been five months and counting since I received the news: I would be giving birth to a bouncing new baby in the fall, adding new mother to my expanding list of titles I had earned and achieved in my life. The gender of the child didn't seem important and so I chose to keep that a surprise. As long as the baby was healthy and safe, I would be content with whatever I got. Sasuke, on the other hand, would most likely disagree with me.

"I know you want a son to carry on the clan name." I mumbled to myself, "But I also know that you'd be just as happy with a girl."

"Talking to yourself again?" came the deep rumble of a familiar voice.

My eyes left the window and the outside world, darting over to the shifting sheets where the young Uchiha was smirking at me in a rarely seen playful manner. I returned the gesture with one of my own, never faltering in the back and forth motion of the rocking chair I sat in. It had been a gift from Sasuke, one of the few family heirlooms that still remained of his clan. Made of the finest oak this side of the Fire Country it had belonged to his mother, or so he told me, and was an ancient yet elegant reminder of the former glory that had resided with the Uchihas before the massacre. And with the coming of his child, it would return once again.

"Well good morning to you too," I greeted cheerfully, ignoring his first comment.

"Shouldn't you be resting in your condition?" Sasuke asked with a stretch of his limbs.

"With the baby kicking at me every five minutes, it's not likely," I replied, wincing when the child made to prove my point, "But at least we can be sure it's an Uchiha."

"Like there as any doubt," the younger shinobi scoffed smugly from the bed.

Prideful as ever about his clan and the blood that sustained it, I couldn't help but smile at the lightness in his attitude. It wasn't too long ago that power and vengeance were the only things that consumed Sasuke's every thoughts, slowly eating at his soul until he was nothing more than a broke and empty shinobi. That was the only way Orochimary could have managed to convince him to turn his back on the village. He prayed on the Uchiha's weakness, instantly gaining access to the Sharingan. Every time I asked him about the time with the Legendary Sannin, Sasuke would simply brush it off saying that there was nothing to tell. And I might have believed him if it weren't for the distant look he got in his eyes every time I caught him thinking of those days, nothing more than a flash of anger or contempt that would flare up in the black swirls of the Sharingan. Even now I could see his red orbs blow with resentment at some ghost of a memory.

"A penny for your thoughts?" I said softly, stilling the movements of the rocking chair to properly watch for his reaction.

"Hm?" he responded, snapping out of his daze, "Oh, I was just…remembering."

"Remembering what?" I inquired innocently, already aware of the answer.

Several years had passed before Sasuke returned to the village, seeming as broken and empty as he was when he had left, maybe even more so. I had been there patrolling the walls when he came back, his demeanor solemn and passive. The village was going through a period of excessive rain, making the roads to and from Konoha slow and difficult. But despite that and the downpour that he faced, the Uchiha still made his trek, not even putting up a fight when we escorted him to the Hokage. Along the way, we attracted the attention of a great many who had been wandering the streets at the time, all tossing insults and snide comments towards the returning shinobi. Once a prominent agent of the Leaf, Sasuke had grown to become a hated man during his absence.

"Nothing important," he replied softly, casting his gaze down to stare at the design of the comforter with feigned interest.

"Now what did I tell you about lying to me?" in asked rhetorically.

Leaning forward and with the help of the chair, I managed to stand up from my seat. Moving forward in a manner that could only be described as a waddle, I slowly made my way towards the bed and his side. Out of habit or pure concern, he sat up at my approach, having gotten half-way out of bed before I raised a hand to still his actions. His protectiveness towards me and my condition was endearing at times, but also a source of great annoyance. Sometimes enough was enough.

"You know perfectly well that whatever it is you're thinking about is far from nothing," I calmly reprimanded.

Refusing to respond right away, Sasuke simply held out his hand to me and remained silent while he waited for me to take it. Once my fingers were held in his firm grasp, the Uchiha pulled me in to sit on the edge of the bed beside him. His pale digits caressed the smooth curve of my stomach in a gentle and loving manner. There was no denying the smile trapped at the corners of his mouth as the proud father looked on at his unborn child, snug and comfortable inside of the woman he had chosen to give his heart to.

"You shouldn't concern yourself about these things," was all that he said, focusing his eyes on my growing belly the entire time, "Especially now."

"How can I ignore it?" came my whispered retort, "Look what its doing to you."

He exhaled softly at my declaration in a mixture of frustration and understanding, his thin brows furrowing together. On the one hand he knew that I was always concerned for the well-being of others. It was for that reason that I had managed to capture his heart, though unintentional as it was. But at the same time, he knew my concern could affect the health of the baby.

Meeting my eyes with his own, Sasuke reached up to sweep his fingers along my cheek, an intimate gesture that he had taken up recently when he found out about the new edition to our relationship. A small and barely noticeable smile followed soon after, making the moment all the more rare for one so distant.

"Don't worry about me," he murmured softly as he leaned in closer, "I'll be fine."

Soft lips nibbled a trail from my cheek to the corner of my mouth in assurance, ending with an unexpected open-mouthed kiss that reminded me of the ones he used to give me during our late night sparring sessions. Those would eventually lead to other nocturnal activities that were…rather intense of their own accord. I couldn't help but smile at the thought as I felt his tongue graze along my bottom lip.

The arrangement was meant to only be a one-time occurrence, but once the fight ended hours later and the both of us were doubled over with fatigue, it had been wordlessly agreed that we would continue the next night. Through circumstance and perhaps fate, our reliance on one another turned into something else…something more. And that road had brought us here, unmarried but living together with a child on the way. Not to mention Sasuke's tongue trying to work its way into my mouth.

"Careful," I mumbled against his demanding lips, "This is how we got junior, here."

"You know, I heard that you could have sex up until the third trimester," Sasuke muttered in return, ignoring my tamed protest.

"Mmm, as much as I'd love to," I hummed contently, regrettably having to pulling away from his passion, "You have a mission briefing in an hour."

"That's plenty of time," the young Uchiha responded with a lustful twinkle in his eye.

"…I'll go prepare breakfast," was my response as I leaned in for one last kiss, completely disregarding his initial comment and following protest, "You go shower and get dressed for your meeting at the Hokage's office."

As a last resort, I felt the light brushes of his fingers slipping under the hem of my shirt, playing with the sensitive skin along my spine; something Sasuke would often do when things didn't go his way. It took all the will in me not to submit to his desires, and perhaps some of my own, as I suppressed a shiver from the gentle touches. A tactful strategist, I should have expected that he would take full advantage of my weakness. With one last ounce of pride, I pulled away for some much needed air to clear my clouding thoughts, placing a finger at his lips to keep him from delving in once more.

"…Breakfast," I whispered almost breathlessly.

"I was getting to that," Sasuke retorted against my finger with an obvious smirk, darting out his tongue to lick at my digit.

My hand quickly jerked away at the slick feeling, getting up and moving towards the door before he could continue with the sensual warfare. I only managed to spare him one last glance when I reached the door, assured that I would not be as tempted to give in to his demands at such a distance. Even from there I could see the black swirls of his Sharingan spinning in a sea of glowing red eyes. My hand came up to trace around the edges of my own lips, still heated from his rough advances before.

"We'll continue this later," was all that he said, his eyes flaring with determination.

"We had better," I responded mischievously before disappearing around the corner.

Slowly I shifted towards the kitchen area, grateful that Sasuke had been so understanding when I insisted on remaining in my apartment for the duration of the pregnancy instead of taking his offer to stay in the Uchiha compound. It wasn't that I was against living in the lavish estate and it had been thoughtful of him to suggest the idea. But there was a familiarity with my second floor apartment that I could never have in a large clan compound.

"What do you want for breakfast?" I called back towards the bedroom, my feet lightly tapping against the wood flooring.

"The usual is fine," Sasuke called back, his voice a little muffled, no doubt in the midst of brushing his teeth.

A smile was all that I allowed to grace my face as I surveyed the condition of the kitchen, shaking my head at the mountain of dishes that greeted me from the sink spilling out onto the counter. The grin quickly transformed into a quiet sigh as I went to work. Warm water flowed over my hands as I rinsed off the soapy suds and placed the plates into the rack to dry, clearing a spot on the counter so that I could have room to cook. It was just turning off the faucet when there was a knock at the door, soon followed by the Sasuke's light footsteps quickly padding down the hall to answer it.

"I'll get it," he called.

The hinges of the door squeaked in protest, matching the soft screeches of the knob as it was turned. There was no sound at first as I wiped up the excess water that had splashed around the sink and along the counter. But the soft whispers that followed after disturbed me even more, filling my heart with ominous foreboding.

"Who's at the door, Sasuke?" I inquired in hopes of finding out what was going on.

"…Maybe you should come and see for yourself," he replied after a pause.

There was something off about his tone of voice that didn't help my suspicious mood. But there was nothing to be done about it except to come and see the cause of his behavior change. Wiping my hands dry of any left over dish water, I slowly made my way to into the front door where the last Uchiha heir was waiting with our unknown guest.

"What's the matter?" I lightly mocked, letting out a short laugh out of nervousness as I made my way towards the front door, "Is Naruto soliciting you for spars again?"

I had to stop in my tracks at the sight that awaited me at the door. There was a deep frown etched across Sasuke's lips despite the calmness in his other facial features. The unexpected guest was still standing outside in the landing, having not yet been invited in by either me or, apparently, Sasuke. I sent the Uchiha a questioning look, confused as to why he was acting in such a manner. He in return spared me a brief glance before gesturing the visitor to come inside…and that's when I finally understood Sasuke's hesitation.

Pale and seemingly pupil-less eyes greeted me as a ghost from the past stepped through the threshold of our moderate apartment. Specks of dirt and grime dotted his otherwise perfect porcelain skin, weaving a long tale of hardship and adventure with years of development and with it years of questions that I could not begin to ask. He looked the same from when I last saw him, right down to the gentle arch of his brows and the crinkle above the bridge of his nose as he stared at my speechless form.

"…Neji," I whispered almost breathlessly in shock.

The reports had been clear, he had been pronounced dead after six months of searching through the thick forests of the Lightning Country after a devastatingly failed diplomatic mission. The obituary had been anything but brief as it described his caged life and the loved ones he was leaving behind. I had mourned extensively until my heart managed to reach out to another.

That had all been at least five years ago. Now here he was, flesh and bone magically standing before me like some resurrected messiah that had returned to initiate some epic event that would either save or destroy the world, my world. I had loved him with all my heart, perhaps I still did. But I had a life with Sasuke now; we were expecting our first child together.

"…They told us you were dead," was all I could manage, "We had a funeral and…where have you been?"

"…Tenten," the Hyuuga responded, his eyes widening a fraction in realization as he finally took notice of my condition, "You're…"

Eyes darting between the two prodigies from their respective clans, I could only stand there speechless as the full force of the shock hit me. Unable to handle the situation any further, I quickly turned and walked back into the kitchen, hoping it would serve as my temporary sanctuary as I worked to gather my thoughts. Soft footsteps followed me, concerns about me and the safety of our child outweighing Sasuke's common sense to leave me to my thoughts.

"Tenten," he called softly to me.

"You must be hungry," I said softly, ignoring the concern in his voice, "I should get started on making breakfast."

Ignoring his presence for the moment, I busied myself with taking out the necessary items for the morning, starting with the eggs. My hands were practically shaking while I was forced to search extra hard for the missing tomatoes, finally finding them hidden behind the milk carton.

"Heh, you're very possessive of your tomatoes," I commented half-heartedly with a nervous laugh, "I'll have to remember to buy more when I go to the market tomorrow."

"Tenten," the young Uchiha called again, a little louder this time to catch my attention.

"You think Neji would want something to eat?" I wondered aloud, trying to sound cheerful at the thought, "After all, I suspect it's been years since he's had a good home-cooked meal."

Miraculously, I managed not to cut myself as I went though the familiar motions of chopping the tomatoes into big chunks to be mixed with the scrambled eggs. I faltered when pale digits brushed along the back of my hand, stilling my movements from their task. Exhaling in frustration, my head buried in my hands, I put up no protest when the high-ranking shinobi turned me around to face him.

"…Tenten," Sasuke called again when I refused to look at him, his voice a mere whisper.

"…My life is with you now, with our child," I finally managed to choke out, "Everything was perfect, he wasn't supposed to come back."

"But he did," the Uchiha pointed out, gently gripping my chin so that he could pull me to face him, "So what are you going to do about it?"

"…I don't know," was my soft reply, barely above a whisper.

Deep black pools blank and devoid of any readable emotion, greeted me as I gazed into his eyes. Not a trace of the Sharingan could be seen to indicate an erratic imbalance of sentiments at this sudden and unexpected visit from the pride of the Hyuuga clan. The level of control Sasuke was able to maintain even during this trying time amazed me to no end. Any other man would have been frantic with irrational questions or accusations, but not him; to my surprise, all the young Uchiha did was convey his concern though simple gestures such as cup my cheek in a soothing manner and pulling me in for a comforting embrace. So calm and collected, he stood as the foundation I needed and had learned to rely on.

"…You still love him, don't you?" came his quiet inquiry.

"Sasuke," I softly protest, pulling back so that I could look into his eyes, "Don't make me answer that."

"Tenten, I need to know," the Uchiha pressed on before I had a chance to plead my case any further, "Do you still love Neji?"

"I'd like to know the answer to that, myself," said Hyuuga added, finally making his presence known to the two of us.

Glancing over Sasuke's shoulder, I saw the towering stature of my former teammate in the doorway of the kitchen, leaning against the wooden frame like a sentinel guarding a priceless treasure. His arms were crossed over his chest much like he would do in his younger days, back when he still held a lot of contempt against the Main House of the Hyuuga and the clan's political conduct.

"Well?" he urged, raising a thin brow at me when I failed to answer their question.

"What do you want me to say?" I snapped unintentionally, my anger and frustration aimed at both prodigal shinobis, "No matter what I answer, one of you is going to be hurt and that's the last thing I want to do."

"Just tell us the truth, Tenten," Sasuke responded calmly.

"Brilliant, Uchiha," came Neji's snide comment from across the kitchen, "Now why didn't I think of that?"

"Stay out of this, Hyuuga," the younger shinobi snapped.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm already in it," the Hyuuga prodigy calmly pointed out, blunt as ever in his delivery.

"Yeah, and where were you all these years while she was left alone to grieve for you?" the younger shinobi spat out in retort, "Out having a good time with no strings to tie you down?"

"You know nothing of what I've had to endure these past years," Neji responded, equally as angered as Sasuke had sounded.

"Stop it you two!" I shouted, hoping to end the argument before it had a chance to get out of hand, "Arguing isn't going to solve anything and it's certainly not going to make things better."

"All I want to know is your answer," the young Hyuuga prodigy simply stated.

"You want to know my answer?" I questioned rhetorically, managing to keep my voice at an even tone, "I love you both, equally."

I bowed my head in shame at the declaration, knowing how little comfort the statement would offer to either one of them. All it served to accomplish was to complicate things even more, especially when factored with the unborn child growing inside of me. With a huff of frustration, I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away from the both of them as I found myself unable to meet either of their gazes; it would be too much for me to face them after such a confession. I was already having a difficult time keeping myself from crying at the whole situation; facing them would only add to my despair.

"I see," was all that Sasuke could say, his voice filled with an untold emotion that told me everything I needed to know about his feelings on the subject.

"That's not possible," Neji insisted, his brows crinkling together critically.

"The last time I checked, your name wasn't Tenten, so you can't possibly even begin to understand what I'm feeling let alone judge it," came my harsh retort. Then in a more calm manner, I added, "If you need me I'll be in my room."

With that said I made to stroll out of the room, maneuvering around Sasuke and brushing past Neji who stood by the door. At the last minute I paused next to him. It was the closest I had been to my old teammate since his disappearance five years ago and reappearance at my front door only moments before. The memories of his form came rushing back to me as I finally took in his familial state, halting me for a moment in what I had to say to the both of them.

_So different_, I mused, turning to glance at Sasuke, knowing how he'd feel if my gaze lingered on Neji for too long, _And yet they're both so perfect_.

"I'm sorry to have caused the two of you so much pain," I stated meekly, somber at the thought of hurting both men, "Maybe I was better off being alone."

And with that clear declaration of my apologetic thoughts, I quickly continued to flee out of their sights before they had a chance to protest against it. In moments I was back in the safety of my room, standing at the familiar window beside the rocking chair I had sat in that morning. I could still hear them in the kitchen despite the fact that I had closed the door behind me; arguing with each other and doing nothing to keep their voices down as they 'discussed' the situation.

It was unfair to ask me to choose between the two. Both held different qualities that I admired and had grown to care for deeply. It was like comparing the sun to the moon; both stood apart from the other but were celestial bodies in their own right, sharing the same sky none the less. A thousand years to decide and I would be no closer to a suitable conclusion to the matter.

Weary from the emotional trial and of hearing the two of them fighting over, I shuffled over to the bed and quietly laid out on the mattress, wanting nothing more than to slide under the covers and hide in them for the rest of my days in blissful darkness. Closing my eyes to it all, I indulged in the next best thing. For a moment, everything seemed at peace; the conversation that had been taking place in the kitchen earlier having died down to a quiet hush, making the setting ideal for sleep…

x

The next thing I knew, there was a soft knock at the door, waking me up from the unexpected nap that had came with the release of stress. With a soft groan of protest, I attempted to burry my head underneath the pillow in hopes of drowning out the offending noise. The plan was utterly trashed when I heard the door open and felt the presence of two very calm and very solemn shinobis standing at the door.

Keeping my back to them, my eyes slowly pried open as I drew out a soft sigh in anticipation to what else they had to say. My hazel orbs remained staring at the far window, waiting patiently for either one of the prodigies to speak, a look of confusion taking over when not a sound was made. The bed noticeably dipped under the weight of someone as they seated themselves and still there were no words said. The next thing I knew, a soft hand was quietly slipping around my waist, protectively holding on to the bulge of my stomach where the baby rested comfortably within me. Shifting slightly, I looked back to find none other than the young Uchiha heir lying in the bed beside me. He had a few extra cuts and bruises on his face as well as a noticeable band-aid on his cheek. But otherwise, he looked healthy enough.

"Sasuke?" I called quietly, "What happened to you?"

He merely squeezed gently at my stomach, a gesture he would often do to show his affection towards the unborn child and at the same time allowed him to be close to me. I was about to question his actions further when I spotted Neji standing behind him, arms crossed and something close to a smile on his lips. His state was similar to Sasuke, telling me that more happened in the kitchen than a change of words.

"…So, who won?" I inquired flatly, followed by a frustrated sigh, "I'll need to know the extent of the damage in the kitchen for when I call the repair men."

"Don't worry about that,' Sasuke insisted, "It was our fault, we'll take care of it."

"…What's going on?" I asked, my brows furrowing curiously at their odd behavoir.

"We've come to an agreement," the elder shinobi replied, circling around the bed to sit at the edge right beside me.

"The two of you came to an agreement on something?" I questioned suspiciously, quirking a skeptic brow, "Why do I get the feeling the apocalypse isn't too far away?"

"Such little faith in us," Sasuke commented nonchalantly, "Honestly, Tenten, I thought you knew better."

Still hesitant to hear what either had to say, I took a moment to look at both clan prodigies, studying their expressions carefully in hopes of extracting any sort of hint to their plans. But thought I had experiences with either one of them, they were still experts at what they did, doing well to hide any telltale signs that would give them away to their devious plotting.

"Alright," I finally said in defeat, "What's this brilliant idea that you two have?"

"Well," the young Uchiha heir responded, tightening his hold around my waist, resulting in pulling me closer to his warmth, "We both think that sharing you would be the best option for everyone involved."

"…What?" I had to question, thinking that I had heard him wrong.

"We've agreed to share your affections." Neji clarified, finally taking the opportunity to lay down beside me as he cupped my face in his hand, "Our fighting and your indecision only upset you so we removed the problem entirely."

For a moment, I believed that it was nothing more than a joke; some bad dream that was the result of the chaotic incident that only happened minutes earlier before I settled down to a fitful slumber. But the feeling of Neji's fingers against my cheek and Sasuke's hand caressing my growing belly seemed too real; too warm for the cold world that usually resided with dreams. And that meant that they were completely serious.

"…You two are insane," I finally managed to say, "What you're suggesting is impossible."

"You should know by now that we pride ourselves in achieving the impossible," Neji responded with his usual smugness.

"It's easy to be confident now while I'm still pregnant," came my calm retort as I faced the Hyuuga clan member, "What will happen afterwards; can you raise a child that's not yours, Neji?"

"He understands the circumstances to this, Tenten, and he's accepted them," the younger shinobi chimed in to Neji's defense, "When have you ever known Hyuuga Neji to agree to anything without carefully thinking over the consequences?"

"But how can you be sure?" I persisted, "How do you know you won't leave?"

"I'm not going anywhere," the Hyuuga clan member commented off-handedly, "Besides, you're going to need help when the twins arrive."

It took a moment for either me or Sasuke to register exactly what he said, so soft was his statement. Glancing back at the Uchiha in confusion, I was greeted with his eyes, wide with shock at the news. Turning back towards Neji, we both made to question the Byakuugan user further.

"…Twins?" we both inquired at the same time, finally noticing the veins that had popped up around his eyes from the activated bloodline limit.

All we received in reply from Neji was his trademark smirk, dripping with smugness as the veins smoothed out into porcelain skin.

-x-

_In a perfect world you can find all the traits that you could ever desire in one man, one soul mate that's all your own. But in reality, in my reality, I found it in two men. Two wonderful, loving men willing to share me so that I could have all that I could ever want, all that they think I deserve. I couldn't feel any more lucky laying sandwiched between the two brooding Princes as our hands joined together to rest on my growing belly. I found it amusing if not ironic that the coming of a child would be the one factor that could bring a caged bird, a cursed avenger and a forgotten girl together in such a union. But I won't question it…because the world is not so perfect and you have to take what you can._

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**AN**: I don't like how this turned out. When I have the time I'll go back and revise this.


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